The health ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza says the Palestinian death toll from the ongoing war with Israel has surpassed 10,000.
The figures released on Monday mark a grim milestone in what has quickly become the deadliest round of fighting since Israel’s establishment 75 years ago. Medical Aid for Palestinians has described the death toll as “shocking”.
“More people have been killed in the last one month in Gaza than were recorded killed in the July 1995 Srebrenica massacre, or the January 1999 assault on Freetown, Sierra Leone,” the aid organisation said in a statement.
Elsewhere, the US military has acknowledged positioning a nuclear-capable submarine in the Middle East.
It provided no other details in its online statement yesterday, though it posted an image that appeared to show a submarine in Egypt’s Suez Canal near its Suez Canal Bridge.
US acknowledgment of an Ohio-class submarine location is incredibly rare as they represent part of America’s so-called “nuclear triad” of atomic weapons — which also includes land-based ballistic missiles and nuclear bombs aboard strategic bombers.
South Africa recalls ambassador in Israel over ‘genocide’
South Africa’s government has recalled its ambassador and diplomatic mission to Israel in condemnation of the bombardment of the Gaza Strip, calling it a “genocide”.
The government also threatened action against the Israeli ambassador to South Africa over his recent remarks on the African country’s stance on the Israel-Hamas war. No further details were given about the remarks.
Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, minister in the presidency, said: “The South African government has decided to withdraw all its diplomats in Tel Aviv for consultation.”
Ms Ntshavheni also said the position of the Israeli ambassador in the country was “untenable”.
‘Shocking milestone’
The Palestinian death toll of 10,000 marks a “shocking milestone” in the war between Hamas and Israel, Medical Aid for Palestinians has said. The aid group reiterated its call for an immediate ceasefire, hit out at the Western countries refusing to back one and warned that those who have not been killed during the bombardment are at risk from starvation, dehydration and infectious diseases.
“More people have been killed in the last one month in Gaza than were recorded killed in the July 1995 Srebrenica massacre, or the January 1999 assault on Freetown, Sierra Leone,” the aid organisation said in a statement.
“Soon those killed by the bombs will be joined by people dying from starvation, dehydration, infectious diseases and the closure of medical services. This includes 130 newborn babies in incubators in Gaza’s hospitals whose lives are at critical risk as generators run out of fuel. Israel’s siege is making sustaining human life in Gaza impossible and must be brought immediately to an end. Collective punishment is a war crime, and those responsible must be held accountable.”
Melanie Ward, Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP)’s CEO, said: “The killing of 10,000 people in such a short period of time should shock the world’s conscience. Most of the dead are women and children. Israel’s bombardment of civilian areas in Gaza demands an immediate response from the international community, who must uphold international law. The cost of inaction is measured in lives, and we cannot allow this carnage to continue.”
Fikr Shalltoot, MAP’s Gaza director, said: “How many more deaths will it take for this assault to be brought to an end – 50,000, 100,000? As we witness our homes, hospitals and schools turned to rubble, we are crying out for a shred of humanity from world leaders. We are terrified of what is to come if we don’t get a ceasefire soon,”
“Our colleagues are running out of food and water. Gaza is running out of time. We must have ceasefire now”
Starmer faces plot by Labour rebel MPs to force Commons vote on Gaza ceasefire
Sir Keir Starmer is facing a rebellion by left-wing Labour MPs who are trying to force a vote on a Gaza ceasefire in parliament.
The Labour leader is under growing pressure to change stance as his party suffers a major split on his refusal to back a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Adam Forrest reports:
Starmer faces plot by Labour rebel MPs to force Commons vote on Gaza ceasefire
Labour left-wingers hope to ‘flush out’ more opposition to leader’s stance with debate in parliament
Netanyahu suspends minister who suggested Israel ‘nuke Gaza’
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has suspended a minister who suggested dropping a nuclear bomb on Gaza.
Heritage Minister Amihay Eliyahu, from a far-right party in the coalition government, was asked in an interview with Radio Kol Berama about a hypothetical nuclear option to which he replied: “That’s one way.”
Athena Stavrou reports:
Turkish foreign minister called for immediate ceasefire in talks with Blinken
Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan told his US counterpart Antony Blinken in a meeting in Ankara that a ceasefire needed to be declared urgently in Gaza, a Turkish foreign ministry source said.
Blinken made an unannounced visit to the West Bank on Sunday to meet Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas, who joined international calls for an immediate ceasefire. Blinken reiterated US concerns that a ceasefire could aid Hamas and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu ruled one out until Hamas releases all hostages in Gaza.
US CIA director William Burns was also set to visit Israel on Monday to discuss the war and intelligence with officials, the New York Times reported. Burns also will make stops in other regional states, it quoted an unnamed US official as saying.
Eight killed in strike on cancer hospital – Gaza health ministry
Palestinian health officials said eight people were killed in an air strike overnight on Gaza City’s Rantissi cancer hospital. Israel’s military said it was looking into the report.
The Israeli army said its strikes hit “tunnels, terrorists, military compounds, observation posts, and anti-tank missile launch posts”.
Ground troops killed several Hamas fighters while taking a militant compound containing observation posts, training areas and underground tunnels, it said.
Gaza border officials said the Rafah crossing has resumed operations to allow foreign passport holders and critically wounded Palestinians into Egypt.
Hundreds of foreign nationals and wounded were allowed to leave Gaza for Egypt last week but no such exits have been reported since 3 November
25 aid trucks crossed into Gaza on Sunday – PRCS
An aid organisation said it received twenty-five aid trucks through the Rafah crossing on Sunday.
The Palestinian Red Cresent Society said it was the 476th truck it had received since 21 October.
However, it has not received any fuel, it added.
Palestinian death toll surpasses 10,000 – health ministry
The health ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza says the Palestinian death toll from the ongoing war with Israel has surpassed 10,000.
The figures released Monday mark a grim milestone in what has quickly become the deadliest round of fighting since Israel’s establishment 75 years ago.
The war erupted on October 7 when Hamas militants stormed into Israel from Gaza and killed over 1,400 people and took some 240 others hostage in a rampage that Israel described as the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust.
Israel responded with a campaign of blistering airstrikes, followed by a ground invasion.
The health ministry says 10,022 people have been killed in Gaza, without distinguishing between fighters and civilians.
The vast majority of the dead are believed to have been killed in Israeli airstrikes, though Israel says over 500 errant rockets launched by Palestinian militants have landed inside Gaza.
Rafah border crossing reopens for limited number of foreign nationals
The Rafah border crossing has reopened, but only for evacuations by Egyptians and foreign nationals listed since 1 November, the border authority in Hamas-controlled Gaza has said.
The authority’s statement added that those who were not listed won’t be able to cross the border, as per notification from the Egyptian authorities.
The Israeli military, supported by the American, and to a lesser extent the UK are making a right good job of collectively punishing the savages.
Nearly 11,000 civilians killed, two thirds woman and children, a million people displaced without fuel, water, medicine, and over 14,000 bombs dropped on civilian homes, hospitals, schools, churches and mosques. it’s become a real turkey shoot.
Watching international TV and seeing people with their bare hands picking up bits of dismembered children, you realize how utterly vicious Benjamin Netanyahu is in delivering biblical retribution to wipe out the savages. In fact he exhorts the troops to spare no mercy quoting 1 Samuel chapter 15 verse 3.
And by and large to we care. Of course we don’t these people, these animal people, men woman and children deserve it, and our government condones it.